Colon, Mets to batter visiting Braves?
After seeing their eight-game winning streak come to an end over the weekend, the Mets seek to begin a new run against the majors’ worst team.
New York hosts Atlanta in the opener of a three-game series tonight, with a 7:10 p.m. ET first pitch at Citi Field. Oddsmakers at online sports book Bovada.lv view Terry Collins’ squad as a 1.5-run favorite. The over/under figure, meanwhile, sits at seven runs.
On Sunday, the defending National League champion finally came up empty. Madison Bumgarner and the Giants subdued the Mets, 6-1, as the offense totaled just two extra-base knocks. Even with the defeat, though, New York (15-8) remains directly behind Washington in the NL East race.
This evening’s opponent also happens to function as an unwavering punching bag. The Braves, winners of six of 24, must turn to Class AAA righty Mike Foltynewicz to make the start. He went 4-6 with a 5.71 ERA for the parent club in 2015.
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On the other side, Bartolo Colon (1-1, 3.42) adores facing Atlanta. The veteran posted a 4-0 record with a 3.66 ERA in five assignments vs. the former division powerhouse last season. Colon continues to search for his 220th career victory, too, which would vault him past Pedro Martinez for second among Dominican-born hurlers.
Neither Colon nor Foltynewicz will work deep into the Gotham night, putting the onus on a pair of susceptible bullpens. We still expect New York to handle its business, but the matchup as a whole won’t exactly mesmerize the five boroughs.
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